Ouvrage Chesnois
Encyclopedia
Ouvrage Chesnois, also known as Ouvrage Chênois, is a petit ouvrage of the Maginot Line
, located in the Fortified Sector of Montmédy
, facing Belgium
. The ouvrage lies between the towns of Montlibert and Thonne-le-Thil
. It possesses six combat blocks. It is located between gros ouvrage Thonnelle
and petit ouvrvage La Ferté
. The position was sabotaged and abandoned by French forces that were ordered to retreat from the exposed position in June 1940 during the Battle of France
. The ouvrage is presently abandoned and sealed.
Chesnois is one of four positions in the so-called Tête de Pont de Montmédy, a salient in the French defensive lines along the Belgian border. The isolated area was one of the "New Fronts" to the west of the main Maginot Line, created to defend against the increased threat of a German advance through Belgium. The New Front positions suffered from restricted funding, as well as discontinuity in the fortification lines. Large distances between fortifications compared to earlier portions of the Line made mutual support between ouvrages difficult.
The fortification's drain extends 365 metres (1,197.5 ft) from Block 7 and serves as an emergency exit.
A number of small blockhouses are associated with Chesnois, as well as several casemates:
None of these are connected to the ouvrage or to each other.
In the initial stages of the Battle of France
, Chesnois provided covering fire to its neighbor Ouvrage La Ferté
on 17–18 May 1940. Chesnois ceased fire during a French counterattack late on the 18th and did not resume firing. La Ferté's garrison was killed and the position was lost on the 19th.
In June the garrisons of the Tête de Pont de Montmédy were ordered to withdraw the night of 10–11 June to straighten French lines, and to avoid La Ferté's fate. The fortifications' arms and infrastructure were sabotaged before they were abandoned. Evacuation was complete by 12 June. The German 169th Infantry Division advanced to take possession of Chesnois and other ouvrages in the salient on 13 June 1940.
The area saw no action during the Lorraine Campaign
of 1944. The interior of the ouvrage had been stripped by the Germans, and again after the war by scrap dealers.
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...
, located in the Fortified Sector of Montmédy
Fortified Sector of Montmédy
The Fortified Sector of Montmédy was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Maginot Line between Sedan and Longuyon, a distance of about . The sector sector was not as strongly defended as other sections of the Maginot Line, facing the southern Ardennes region...
, facing Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The ouvrage lies between the towns of Montlibert and Thonne-le-Thil
Thonne-le-Thil
Thonne-le-Thil is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Meuse department...
. It possesses six combat blocks. It is located between gros ouvrage Thonnelle
Ouvrage Thonnelle
Ouvrage Thonnelle is a petit ouvrage of the Maginot Line, located in the Fortified Sector of Montmédy between the towns of Thonnelle and Verneuil-Petit, facing Belgium. It possesses four combat blocks. It is located between gros ouvrages Vélosnes and Chesnois...
and petit ouvrvage La Ferté
Ouvrage La Ferté
Ouvrage La Ferté, also known as Ouvrage Villy-La-Ferté, is a petit ouvrage of the Maginot Line, located in the Fortified Sector of Montmédy, facing Belgium. The ouvrage lies between the towns of Villy and La Ferté-sur-Chiers. It possesses two combat blocks...
. The position was sabotaged and abandoned by French forces that were ordered to retreat from the exposed position in June 1940 during the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
. The ouvrage is presently abandoned and sealed.
Design and construction
The site was approved in 1934. Work by the contractor Bringer & Tondu began in 1934 at a cost of 37 million francs. A planned second phase was to add a second artillery block. The rise in tensions between France and Germany in the late 1930s prevented the second phase from being pursued.Chesnois is one of four positions in the so-called Tête de Pont de Montmédy, a salient in the French defensive lines along the Belgian border. The isolated area was one of the "New Fronts" to the west of the main Maginot Line, created to defend against the increased threat of a German advance through Belgium. The New Front positions suffered from restricted funding, as well as discontinuity in the fortification lines. Large distances between fortifications compared to earlier portions of the Line made mutual support between ouvrages difficult.
Description
Chesnois is a gros ouvrage It is located in gently rolling open country. The underground galleries extend more than 2000 metres (6,561.7 ft) from end to end.- Block 1: infantry block with one automatic rifle cloche (GFM-B)GFM clocheThe GFM cloche was one of the most common defensive armaments on the Maginot Line. A cloche was a fixed and non-retractable firing position made of a thick iron casting which shielded its occupant...
, one GFM-B/observation cloche, one grenade launcher cloche (LG)LG clocheThe LG cloche was a defensive element common to many Maginot Line ouvrages. The fixed cupola was deeply embedded into the concrete on top of a combat block, with only the top surface visible. The opening permitted the ejection of grenades from the interior of the cloche, providing a means of...
, a retractable mixed arms turret, one twin machine gun embrasure and one machine gun/47mm anti-tank gunAC 47 anti-tank gunThe AC 47 was a French anti-tank gun of 47mm caliber. It was principally used in the ouvrages and casemates of the Maginot Line in the late 1930s; another version was created for naval use....
(JM/AC47) embrasure. - Block 2: infantry block with one GFM-B cloche and one mixed arms (AM) clocheJM clocheThe JM cloche is an element of the Maginot Line. It is a non-retractable non-rotating cupola of steel alloy like GFM cloches, but are armed with twin heavy machine guns, as opposed to the lighter automatic rifles associated with the GFM. There are 179 JM cloches on the Maginot Line.JM is an acronym...
. - Block 3: infantry block with one GFM-B cloche, one AM cloche, one twin machine gun embrasure and one JM/AC47 embrasure.
- Block 4: infantry block with one GFM-B cloche, one GFM-B/observation cloche, one AM cloche, one twin machine gun embrasure and one JM/AC47 embrasure.
- Block 5: artillery block with one GFM-B cloche and one retractable twin 75mm gun turret.
- Block 6 (unbuilt)': artillery block with one GFM-B cloche and one retractable twin 75mm gun turret.
- Block 7: mixed entry block with two GFM-B cloches and one twin machine gun embrasure
The fortification's drain extends 365 metres (1,197.5 ft) from Block 7 and serves as an emergency exit.
A number of small blockhouses are associated with Chesnois, as well as several casemates:
- Casemate de Moiry: Double block with two JM/AC47 embrasures, two JM embrasures, two AM cloches and two GFM-B cloches.
- Casemate de Sainte-Marie: Single block with one JM/AC47 embrasure, one JM embrasure, two AM cloches and two GFM-B cloches.
- Casemate de Sapogne: Single block with one JM/AC47 embrasure, one JM embrasure, two AM cloches and one GFM-B cloche.
- Casemate de Christ: Single block with one JM/AC47 embrasure, one JM embrasure, two AM cloches and one GFM-B cloche.
- Casemate de Thonne-le-Thil: Double block with two JM/AC47 embrasures, two JM embrasures, two AM cloches and two GFM-B cloches.
- Casemate de Guerlette: Double block with two JM/AC47 embrasures, two JM embrasures, one AM cloche and two GFM-B cloches.
None of these are connected to the ouvrage or to each other.
Manning
The 1940 manning of the ouvrage under the command of Captain Aubert comprised 316 men and 8 officers of the 155th Fortress Infantry Regiment. The units were under the umbrella of the 2nd Army, Army Group 1. The Casernement de Montmédy provided peacetime above-ground barracks and support services to Chesnois and other fortifications in the area.History
- See Fortified Sector of MontmédyFortified Sector of MontmédyThe Fortified Sector of Montmédy was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Maginot Line between Sedan and Longuyon, a distance of about . The sector sector was not as strongly defended as other sections of the Maginot Line, facing the southern Ardennes region...
for a broader discussion of the events of 1940 in the Montmédy sector of the Maginot Line.
In the initial stages of the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, Chesnois provided covering fire to its neighbor Ouvrage La Ferté
Ouvrage La Ferté
Ouvrage La Ferté, also known as Ouvrage Villy-La-Ferté, is a petit ouvrage of the Maginot Line, located in the Fortified Sector of Montmédy, facing Belgium. The ouvrage lies between the towns of Villy and La Ferté-sur-Chiers. It possesses two combat blocks...
on 17–18 May 1940. Chesnois ceased fire during a French counterattack late on the 18th and did not resume firing. La Ferté's garrison was killed and the position was lost on the 19th.
In June the garrisons of the Tête de Pont de Montmédy were ordered to withdraw the night of 10–11 June to straighten French lines, and to avoid La Ferté's fate. The fortifications' arms and infrastructure were sabotaged before they were abandoned. Evacuation was complete by 12 June. The German 169th Infantry Division advanced to take possession of Chesnois and other ouvrages in the salient on 13 June 1940.
The area saw no action during the Lorraine Campaign
Lorraine Campaign
Lorraine Campaign is a term used by U.S. Army historians to describe operations of the U.S. Third Army in Lorraine during World War II from September 1 through December 18, 1944. Official U.S. Army campaign names for this period and location are Northern France and Rhineland. The term was...
of 1944. The interior of the ouvrage had been stripped by the Germans, and again after the war by scrap dealers.
Current condition
The site is abandoned and stripped, but is sealed to access. The surface elements remain accessible. It is reported to be dangerous to enter.See also
- List of all works on Maginot Line
- Siegfried LineSiegfried LineThe original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
- Atlantic WallAtlantic WallThe Atlantic Wall was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the western coast of Europe as a defense against an anticipated Allied invasion of the mainland continent from Great Britain.-History:On March 23, 1942 Führer Directive Number 40...
- Czechoslovak border fortificationsCzechoslovak border fortificationsThe Czechoslovak government built a system of border fortifications from 1935 to 1938 as a defensive countermeasure against the rising threat of Nazi Germany that later materialized in the German offensive plan called Fall Grün...
External links
- Chesnois (or Chênois) at darkplaces.org